Surgeon says boss drove him from practice

A former Ventura neurosurgeon who was sued by more than 20 patients in malpractice cases alleges he was driven out of his surgical practice because he was owed more than $1 million in bonuses and other pay.

Sabit alleges Community Memorial Health System, which runs the hospital, and medical staff leaders temporarily suspended his provisional privileges without a proper investigation.

He also says hospital leaders suspended the privileges to breach his contract with Abou-Samra, a longtime area doctor and a leader of Ventura County Neurosurgical Associates.

Ted England, an attorney representing Abou-Samra, denied all the allegations, citing the malpractice claims against Sabit.

"It sort of reminds me of the definition of chutzpah where someone murders their parents and then pleads for mercy on the basis that they're now an orphan," England said.

Sabit moved to Michigan and continued to practice. His attorney, Bruce Cohen, declined to comment on the lawsuit.

"Dr. Sabit does not wish to litigate this matter in the press," he said in a letter.

Gary Wilde, CEO of Community Memorial Health System, also denied the lawsuit's contentions.

"We find that these allegations against the hospital and medical staff are baseless and without merit," he said in a statement.

The civil suit is the latest twist in the litigation involving Sabit. The surgeon performed operations in Ventura for 17 months before his independent contractor's agreement with Abou-Samra was terminated in December 2010.

Sabit is being sued by patients who say he performed overly aggressive back surgeries that often ended in infection and sometimes corrective surgery. They allege he relied heavily on hardware such as rods and interbody cages, sometimes misusing the equipment.

Sabit has denied the allegations against him. Many of the lawsuits also target Abou-Samra and Community Memorial, with some plaintiffs saying the hospital shouldn't have allowed the operations.

In the new lawsuit, Sabit says his three-year agreement with Abou-Samra promised bonuses tied to the revenue he generated for the medical practice. It alleges he developed a reputation as a "go-to physician" and generated about $3 million for the business.

"The bonuses and other money wrongly withheld from plaintiffs exceed $1 million," the lawsuit says.

The suit alleges Abou-Samra influenced Community Memorial's decision to suspend Sabit's provisional privileges as a way to end his contract with Sabit. It says Abou-Samra and Community Memorial harmed Sabit's practice, reputation and livelihood.

The lawsuit also alleges that Community Memorial did not properly investigate complaints against Sabit. It said the suspension was lifted four days after it began but after Abou-Samra ended his contract with Sabit.

"A proper investigation would have disclosed that no basis for a summary suspension of Dr. Sabit's provisional privileges existed," the lawsuit says.

At least one lawsuit filed by patients against Sabit has been settled. Other cases are moving through the legal system, with one trial set for March.